New on-trend smoky flavours fires up this winter

There are few things as true to South Africa as the smell of a smoky summer braai, but Mugg & Bean is reimagining and introducing these aromas to a new category in its winter menu, launching on Tuesday, 05 July 2016.

In the past smoky food that is charred or burnt is a sure sign of ruined meal. Not anymore. This season, smoke is the hottest trend. Rising in global popularity in recent months, smoky food dishes are complex with their sweet and bitter undertones, where various cuts of meat are flavourfully infused with a smokehouse treatment, prepared over an open fire or smoke-filled with speciality sauces. Lesser known cuts such as brisket and flank steak are dominating the meat market using the smoky trend.

Marketing Executive for Mugg & Bean, Lee-Ann Cullingworth explains that this addition was made to satisfy their customers’ adventurous palettes, “We want to enthuse our consumers, feed their growing appetites for exciting and new dishes and take them on a flavour adventure.”

Because this smoke flavour cannot be pinned down as a specific taste, the trend is rather defined by its distinct scents, similar to a nostalgic memory of campfires and the sense of being warm and comfortable. The smoke-kissed meats are complimented with fresh salads that can comprise of ingredients like crispy onions, root-to-stem veggies and seasonal citrus flavours, perfect for the winter time.

“The new additions will see use of smoked paprika, chipotle and other smoky sauces,” says Cullingworth. “Flavour and innovation are at Mugg & Bean’s core. Our new-product development team is constantly adapting our menu to the latest trends while ensuring our food is always generous, made-from-scratch and authentic.”

Mugg & Bean has always been about generosity, which comes to life through its generous portion sizes, flavours inspired from across the globe and the warm and welcoming food experiences that has remained true to the brand for the past 20 years. “We will continue to push our culinary boundaries by bringing new ingredients and flavourful combinations to our customer’s plates and palettes,” concluded Cullingworth.

Do yourself a favour and walk into a Mugg & Bean restaurant this winter to try the newest category and let us know what you think of the new offerings on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, using the hashtag #SmokyFlavours.